Chapter 5

Part 5

The warehouse was silent now. After everything that had gone down - Geet’s surprising knack for hand-to-hand combat and Maan’s frustrated grunts as he watched her expertly handle criminals...it felt almost anticlimactic.

But they had done it. They had cracked the case wide open. Rajveer Malhotra’s operations were exposed, and the police were closing in. Maan could feel the endgame coming; the only thing left now was to ensure Rajveer didn’t escape.

Geet, on the other hand, had one last ace up her sleeve. While Maan had been busy interrogating the thugs they’d captured, Geet had been working her lawyer magic, digging through legal loopholes and making connections that Maan had no patience for.

“ACP!” Geet’s voice called from the edge of the room.

He looked up, startled. “What?”

She was standing with her arms crossed, a smug look on her face. “I’ve got the final piece. Rajveer’s biggest asset is in plain sight, and you didn’t even notice it.”

Maan’s eyes narrowed, irritation and curiosity mixing in his gaze. “And that is…?”

Geet waved her phone in front of him, then clicked it open. “This. You should have noticed the transactions going through his company. There’s a lawyer behind it all...someone who’s been covering his tracks.”

Maan walked over to her, glancing at the screen. “A lawyer?” His voice hardened. “We’ve already crossed paths with every lowlife under Rajveer’s thumb. Who is this one?”

Geet flipped the phone around so he could see the name clearly. “You’ll love this. It’s Rajveer’s own cousin. None other than... Arjun Malhotra. A lawyer with connections everywhere.”

Maan cursed under his breath. “Arjun Malhotra. Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because you were too busy being a super cop,” she teased, nudging him with her shoulder.

“I can’t believe you figured it out first,” Maan muttered, his jaw clenched. “You’re one step ahead as always.”

Geet laughed lightly. “Well, you might have the guns and the badge, but I’ve got the brains and the strategy. We make a great team, don’t we?”

Maan’s lips quirked into a half-smile, the playful banter masking the deeper, more intense feelings brewing inside him. It wasn’t the first time she’d said something like that, and each time, he felt the same twinge of something he couldn’t quite place. She was making him feel... things.

“Don’t get too cocky. You still need me to get this guy, and I’m the one with the real experience.” He shot her a pointed look, unable to hide his smirk.

“I’m not getting cocky,” Geet replied, rolling her eyes. “I’m just saying we’re a good match. And I’m starting to think that maybe you’re starting to realize it too.”

Maan’s heart skipped a beat at her boldness. He took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the case. “Let’s focus on the job, Geet.”

She looked at him for a long moment, the unspoken words hanging between them like a tightrope. She could feel the same pull...the same unacknowledged attraction that neither of them wanted to address. Not yet.

“Right,” Geet said finally, breaking the silence. “So, how do we catch Arjun Malhotra?”

Maan’s face hardened. “We go after him the same way we’ve been going after Rajveer...head-on, with full force. I’ll need your legal expertise to make sure we catch him red-handed.”

“And I’ll need your muscle to get us there,” she quipped. “Deal?”

“Deal,” he said, locking eyes with her. “Let’s finish this.”

~~

As they left the warehouse and climbed into Maan’s car, the atmosphere shifted. The case was almost over, but there was an undercurrent of tension - something more than just the job. Maan couldn’t ignore it anymore. And for the first time, Geet wasn’t teasing him or distracting him. She was quiet, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.

Maan glanced at her, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel. “You okay?”

Geet’s gaze flickered to him for a second before she quickly looked away. “Yeah"

“About what?” he asked, his voice softer than usual.

Her gaze turned out the window, her thoughts clearly weighing heavily on her. “About how this is all going to end. You know, after we catch Arjun and Rajveer...”

Maan’s pulse quickened. “What about it?”

She turned to face him, a serious expression on her face. “What happens to us? After this whole mess is over?”

Maan’s breath caught in his throat. The question had been hanging in the air for a while now, but neither of them had dared to acknowledge it.

“I...” He stopped himself, trying to find the right words. “I don’t know. I guess... I guess we’ll figure it out.”

She raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. “Not very confident, are we, ACP?”

He chuckled, his heart pounding. “I’m confident in everything except figuring you out.”

Geet’s smile softened. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.”

The words hung in the air between them, charged with an energy neither of them was willing to fully confront. But for now, neither of them needed to. There were bigger things to focus on. Arjun Malhotra. Rajveer. And the law that they both upheld...no matter how it twisted and turned.

~~

She was ready...ready to take him down. But more than that, Maan knew something else.

He was ready too. Ready to take the next step.

Because after everything they had been through, after all the banter, the bickering, and the close calls, one thing was clear - they were a team in every sense of the word.

But as Geet locked eyes with him, a smile playing on her lips, Maan realized that sometimes, even the most complicated cases had a way of working themselves out...just like love.

~~

The house was quiet now, the only sound being the distant hum of Maan’s phone as it buzzed incessantly on the desk. It had been a long night, but they had finally cracked the case. Rajveer Malhotra’s operations were exposed, his network of criminals on the verge of being dismantled. But there was one final step left, one final game to play.

And Geet Handa, ever so sharp, was holding the cards.

Maan paced the room, his hands clasped behind his back. He was exhausted, physically drained from hours of questioning and chasing down leads. But Geet? She was a picture of focus, her mind working like a well-oiled machine, and Maan couldn’t help but admire it.

Geet looked up from the stack of papers she was rifling through. “Maan,” she called out, her voice cutting through the silence, “I think I’ve found the last piece to this puzzle.”

Maan glanced over at her, his brow furrowed in curiosity. “What is it?”

She held up a sheet of paper, her lips curling into a sly grin. “You might want to sit down for this.”

Maan raised an eyebrow and made his way over. He took the paper from her hands, scanning the contents quickly. His eyes widened as he read.

“Arjun Malhotra again.” His voice was sharp with disbelief.

Geet nodded, her eyes gleaming with triumph. “That’s right. He’s been the one behind most of Rajveer’s legal cover-ups. The lawyer we’ve been looking for all along” She leaned in slightly, her voice lowering to a teasing whisper.

Maan blinked, his expression a mix of confusion and realization. “Now now see the irnoy...the same man you’ve been arguing in court for, defending with all your might... is the one running the whole operation! See I was right, lawyer sahiba”

Geet’s lips twitched, clearly enjoying the irony. “Yep. It’s almost poetic, isn’t it? Here I am, fighting for his release, only to end up helping arrest him. The universe has a twisted sense of humor, doesn’t it?”

Maan let out a low chuckle. “A real big punchline. Guess I’ll have to give myself the credit for bringing down your own client, huh?”

Geet’s eyes met his with a playful glint. “Hey, it’s all in a day’s work. I was just doing what was right. Whether or not I agreed with his actions... well, that’s a whole different story.”

Maan was still chuckling, but there was a sharpness to his gaze as he handed her the paper. “This changes everything. Arjun has been the mastermind behind it all. And now, we have enough evidence to nail him.”

Geet’s smile faltered for a second, her thoughts briefly turning serious. “You know, it’s ironic. I spent weeks, maybe even months, defending Rajveer. Believing in his innocence. And now, all of a sudden, I’m helping arrest him. All thanks to you, ACP. People are going to call me bevakoof for this”

Maan stopped pacing, finally meeting her gaze. “That’s the thing about justice. Sometimes you find yourself on the wrong side without even realizing it. And nothing wrong, you ARE 50 per cent mad”

Her lips parted as she processed his words. She wasn’t sure if he meant it as a personal reflection or a general observation, but it hit her hard either way. And despite the irony of it all, she couldn’t shake the guilt that lingered. She let go his 50% mad jibe for now.

“I guess this is the price you pay for believing in the system,” she said quietly.

Maan nodded, his tone shifting to something deeper. “And I guess that’s what makes you different. You always fight for what’s right, even when it’s complicated. Even when the lines blur.”

Geet met his gaze again, his words wrapping around her like an unexpected warmth. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, Maan’s phone rang, breaking the moment.

“Malhotra,” Maan said into the receiver, his tone turning business-like as he shifted back into police mode.

Geet crossed her arms, listening intently as Maan spoke. She had gotten so caught up in their banter that for a second, she’d forgotten why they were even there. Rajveer. Arjun. The case wasn’t over yet.

Maan hung up the phone with a grim expression. “It’s time. We go after Arjun.”

“Are you sure we’re ready for this?” Geet asked, her voice slightly hesitant, though her eyes shone with determination.

Maan gave her a look. “We’ve been ready since the moment we walked in here.”

Geet straightened, her gaze hardening. “Okay let's go, then.”

~~

It was an hour later when they cornered Arjun Malhotra in his luxurious office. The city lights were dim outside, casting long shadows across the walls. Arjun looked surprisingly calm, almost too calm, as Maan and Geet stepped inside.

“So, you two think you’ve won?” Arjun’s voice was smooth, filled with arrogance, as he leaned back in his chair, not even bothering to stand.

Maan stepped forward, his expression cold. “You’ve been running Rajveer’s empire from the shadows. But it’s over, Arjun. We’ve got you. And this time, there’s no escaping.”

Geet, ever the professional, didn’t flinch. “You’re under arrest for conspiracy, money laundering, and aiding and abetting criminal activities. You have the right to remain silent…”

As she recited the rights, Geet couldn’t help but feel the strange satisfaction of finally being on the other side of the law. But there was a bitter taste in her mouth, the knowledge that she had once been so thoroughly deceived by this very man.

Arjun laughed, a low, almost amused sound. “You’ve been playing this game for a long time, Geet. How does it feel to arrest the very man you tried to protect?”

Geet met his gaze head-on, her voice steady despite the lingering irony. “It feels like justice, Arjun. And that’s all that matters.”

Maan glanced at her, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. “See? I told you. We make a pretty good team.”

Geet’s lips curled into a smirk. “Takes one to know one, ACP.”

With that, Arjun was taken into custody, the final piece of the puzzle falling into place.

As they walked out of the building, the cold night air hit them. But Maan didn’t pull away from Geet this time when their arms brushed. There was something unspoken, something that neither of them was ready to put into words yet.

They had finished the case. They had arrested the criminals. And as Maan looked at Geet, he knew one thing for sure - things had changed. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon enough.

And deep down, Geet knew it too.